The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-25
SOLVED AT LAST.
The Problem of Aerial Navigation Work ed
Out by an Old Freedman.

Out Dy an Ola Erencnmans
New YORK, May pm. Jacques Claude
Constant Gentil has for some years had
little nondescript shop in the French
quarter. The windows were dingy, and
conveyed but little idea OF the business
carried on inside, but a quaint sign in
formed the passer-by that II. Gsntil re.
paired locks and made duplicate keys,
mended umbrellas. put ferrules upon
welking-sticks or silver bands upon mesr-
schaum piper. Inside the dusty shop a
casual glance would convey the idea that
the venerable workman's stock in trade
would not worry an appraiser many mo-
ments. So far as could be seen, the monkey
wrench upon the ancient bench was the
most valuable of his assets, unless,
indeed, one excepted an antediluvian foot
lathe out of gear and in state of sad ne
glect. In the window hung some clumsy
brass keys, an old fowling piece, q clothes
wringer of the Issue of 1912, and piece Of
mechanism which might be model of an
iDquisitoriai instrument of torture, bear
trap, or an old-fashioned bullet mould.
And yet Mr.. Gentil placed certain valua-
ton upon these miscellaneous articles, and
although his customers were few and his
receipts small, he succeeded in selling out
to a countIyman of his last week, and has
sailed for La Belle Brance. Nevertheless, his
most valuable possession, one which he
guarded with Jealous care, and in the con-
struction OF which the old man has spent
years of thought and labor, was not in
cluded in the barter, but forms the most
cherished and carefully handled article of
his luggage.
Mr.. Gentn was born at Nouen-Sur-Loire
in the departments of Loire and Chere, in
1911. He studied and practiced medicine,
but in 1852, for political reasons, he and
thousands of his counirymen fed to Gen.
eva, utterly repudiating any allegiance to
Louis Napoleon. In 1862 Gentil forsook
the little Swiss republic for that of the
United States and for twenty-five years has
of a small pension from the French re-
public, a stipend of which he is very
proud. Thirty years OF Pere GentiPs life
have been devoted to the construction OF
an air-ship, which he commenced in Gen
eva in 1852 and completed in st. Louis in
1884. His grand ambition, while yet q
refuge in Geneva, was to invent an aerial
vessel by means of which he could rescue
imprisoned Republicans in France from
the hated Roy alistS. Each effort was 9
failure but in 1868 his efforts were crowned
with success, and in the New York City
Hall park, under the auspices of Mayor
George 0pdyke, Father Gentil proudly ex
hibited a machine upon which he haC
spent unweaIied years of work.
During the civil war the Confederate
Government offered NJ. Gentil 800, 600 fol
an air-ship which would carry four men
and a certain number of pounds of ex
plosives, but, not being in sympathy witt
the South, he declined the offer, and les
his iceas should be stolen, he destroyed
the air craft. Altogether, he has made il
the thirty-tour years four air vessels, and
the one which he has carried back tt
France with him is the most satisfactory
of all. 1t is cigar-shaped balloon will
pinions and rudder worked by a simpl,
mechanical continuance. Bah" said he
in speaking OF it, ut is the work of m.
life, and shall 1 then have it put upon ex
hibition like a tattoed pig or a stuffe
whale, as / have been asked to do? No,
Is for the scientific public of France.
want no money. give it to the peopl'
! and am happy,